- Date
- August 19, 2021, 18:55 local (Aug 20, 2021, 02:55 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N89ZWPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210819013849A
- Case key
- 103757
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s inability to maintain control of the airplane during taxi after it encountered the prop wash from a larger airplane that was conducting a high-power engine run on the same taxiway.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, after landing he taxied back up the runway to the north. As he reached the end of the runway, and approached the most northerly taxiway, he had to maneuver around another airplane that was parked partially in the taxiway easement and on the runway. As he began to make a right turn onto the taxiway, the airplane was blown sideways about 15-20 ft as a result of the wind from the operating propellers (prop-wash) from a turbo-prop airplane performing a full engine run at a maintenance hangar. The pilot stated that his airplane was dropped onto its left wing and subsequently was spun to the south. Despite the pilot’s attempt of using full brakes to keep the airplane in place, the airplane slid backward and was temporary lifted airborne before it collided with the ground. As a result of the impact, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left rear spar and aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89ZW
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7509114
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 3,147
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 2, 2021 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 88AK · Sterling, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 4AK6 · Wolf Lake, runway 18/36, 2,600 × 100 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 7, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 879 total · 879 in this make and model · 855 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft
- Temperature
- 60 °F, dew point 47 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 9, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.